Means for operating heavy ordnance



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, F. BEX. MEANS FOR OPERATING HEAVY ORDNANGR No.. 483,130. :Patentedfept- 27, 1892.

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F. BEX. MEANS EUR OPERATING HEAVY ORDNANGB. No. 483.130. Patented Sept. 27, 1892..

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E.' BEX.A f MEANS EGE OPERATING HEAVY OEDNANGE. No. 483,130. Patented Sept. 27, 1892.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK BEX, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

MEANS FORMPERATING HEAVY ORDNANCE.

sPEcIF.eA'rIoN ferming part of Letters Patent No.4e3,1eo, dated september 27, 1892. ippneenen nea Jennery 11, 1892. serai No. 417,665. mie-modem Be it known that I, FREDERICK BEX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating lIeavy Ordnance; and I 'do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a platform for use in naval gunnery for the purpose of acquiring in shore practice the skill requisite to manipulate guns at sea and to enable persons unskilled in the art to learn how to train guns in order to compensate for the rolling of a ship upon which such guns may be mounted.

I have fullyand clearly illustrated myinvention in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of the carriage having the gun mounted thereon. Fig. 2 is a side view showing the platforms of the carriage tilted. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section showing the rotating mechanism. Fig. 4 is a plan view taken on the line a: of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail of the sliding block. Fig. (3 is a view showing a ship with masts and sails mounted on the carriage in a horizontal position, and Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the carriage and ship elevated.-

A designates a strong drum constituting the base of the carriage, which sustains and supports the carriage proper and has mounted therein the requisite mechanism for rotating the carriage. 1n this casing or drum is arranged across-bar 1, in the center of which is rigidly fixed the lower end of avertical shaft 2. On this shaft is secured a supporting-collar 3, on which rests a wheel'4, provided with a bevel-gear 5, which meshes with a bevel gear-wheel t5 on a shaft 7, carried on bearings 8 0, substantially as shown. On the outer end of the shaft 7 is a pulley 1t), having belt connection with a power. (Not shown.) From the hul or center of the platform B extend sleeves 11 11x, formed on the hub of the rotating platform li.

ings.

In the top of the drum A4 block 13, havin g aringor dovetailsides,wl1ich engage with the reversely-shaped flanges 14: 15 of a sliding block 16; (see Fig. 5,) to which is attached or connected the tilting mechanism serving to produce the variable motions of the carriage. To the opposite sides and ends of the sliding block 16 are pivotallyconnected the tilting bars 17 18 19 20, having their upper and outer ends jointed tothe under side of the tilting platform C, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. On theplatform B is a block 21, in which a screw 22 is held against progression by means of a collar 23. This screw at the inner portion engages with a cross-piece 24 on the sliding block 16, so that when the screw is turned the block is drawn or pushed in corresponding direction and the connecting-bars made to move the platform C. On the platform Bis an angular yoke 25, the cross-head 26 of which has a threaded hole through it, in which the threads 27 of the screw 22 engage, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. In the arms of the yoke are formed racks 28 29, which engage gears 30 on vertically-arranged lifting-screws 31, as seen in Fig. 4. 'lhese screws 31 have their lower ends rounded, as seen in dotted line in Fig. 4, and have the Shanks formed with quick-pitch threads 32, which engage nuts 33,

fixed on the under side of the tilting platform C and pass up through the platform, as shown. The rear set of lifting-screws have the threads the reverse from the front set, so that when one-,set is used to lift the carriage the other set draws in opposite direction ,to assist in the operation.

0n 'the platform B is a. sup-4 port 34, extending across the platform and4 constituting a fulcrum,0n which the platy form Cv is hinged, rests, and tilts. On the platform C are a number of rollers 35,1vhich support the outer portions of the gun-Hoor D, which has a ball-and-socket bearing connection to the lshaft 2, as best seen in Fig. 3 of e the drawings. The centerhole in the platform C is made larger than the diameter of IOO vhich slotted pins l), secured in the periphery )f the platform B, are passed and keyed by neans of keys b b', thus locking the parts A ind B together. By locking the parts A and 3 together, as shown in Fig. 7 in dotted lines, ind putting power-belt on pulley it throws the gun-floor up, and by means not herein sh'own he belt is moved automatically to the pulley, vhich reverses the motion of the screw and ncline of the gun-floor and prod ucs a heavng and pitching motion.

The ships shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the lrawings are no't regarded as integral parts -f the machine. They are: merely shown as llustrating the fact that on a deck sufficiently arge a miniature ship can be mounted and he same movement imparted to the ship and ts gun or guns as would be given to a single un mounted thereon, and in addition to the rt of gunnery seamanship may thus be acuire f By such construction of mechanism as I ave described and illustrated I am enabled o give those movements to my device located n land which are naturally given by the waves of the ocean to vessels-that is, a rollug and pitching motion-the advantagesdeived from a device of this kind being such hat by practicing thereon on land by persons lnacquainted with the motions of a vessel t sea they can get so accustomed to these iovements that they can within a comparaL ively short time acquiregreat skill and prociency in the management of the various nties requisite on board of a vessel and the eady manipulation of guns thereon conseuent upon these motions, that where they ave heretofore known nothing whatever of ne peculiar motions which are given to vessels tsea without having experienced years of ravel ,upon the ocean.

Having thus described my invention,what claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters atent, is-

1. In a gun-carriage, the combination of a apporting-base, a rotating` platform on the ase, a rotating and tilting `platform on the tid rotating platform, means, as described, )r tilting the platform,and a gun-Hoor, with tils and masts, on the tilting platform, artnged to accommodate the motions and be lted therewith, substantially as described.

2. In a gun-carriage, the combination of the )tating platform B, a centrally-arranged slidlg block on the platform, the tilting platrm C, the connecting-rods between the platrm C, the sliding block, and means, substantially as described, for moving the sliding block, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a. gun-carriage, the combination of the rotating platform B, a centrally arranged sliding block on the platform, the tilting plat- .form C, the connecting-rods between the plat C and the sliding block, a sliding yoke on the platform B, having racks in its arms, liftingscrews to engage the racks and tilt and sustain the platformC, and means to move the yoke and the sliding block, substantially as described.

4. In a gun-carriage, the combination of the 4platform B, a yoke on the floor of the platform, having racks forlned in it, a tilting platform C, arranged above the platform 13, lifting-screws arranged to engage the racks of the yoke and tilt the platform, and a screw to move the yoke, substantially as described.

5. In a gun-carriage, the combination of a supporting-base, a rotating platform on the base, a rotating and tilting platform, means,

as described, for tilting the platform, and a.

gun-Hoor. on the tilting platform arranged to accommodate the motions an d-be tilted therewith, substantially as described.

6. In a gun-carriage, the combination of a base, a central vertical shaft and gear for actuating the same, and aseries of platforms centrally mounted on the said shaft, the extremity thereof terminating in a ball, which engages with a socket on the gun-platform to permit the gyratory motion of the same.

7. In a gun-carriage, the combination of a base having a central vertical shaft and gearing connecting it with a suitable motor, a series of platforms-centrally located on said shaft, mechanism'fortilting and rotatingsaid platforms, anda ball-and-socket'joint on the terminal of said shaft to permit the gyratory movement of the gun-platform supported thereon.

8. In a gun-carriage havinga suitable base, a vertical shaft, a series of rotary platforms mounted thereon, and mechanism for actuating the same, of ar ball-and-socket joint ter-- minating said shaft., said ball having a recess on the surface thereof for the reception of an IOO antifriction-roil, whereby the wave-like motion of the platform isfacilitated.

In testimony whereof I aix' my si gnatu re 'in f presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK nait.l l 

